MIDB in WPS on Windows: Introduction

MIDB in WPS is a text extraction function in Spreadsheets; this guide covers 4 core tasks, with 4 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	4	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	4	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index
Version availability	No version restriction	Available across Smart Spreadsheet versions

About This Feature

Overview

MIDB is a function in WPS Spreadsheets for extracting a specified part of text based on a start position and length. It is useful for data processing and analysis in spreadsheet workflows.

Core capabilities include:

Entering the MIDB function directly in a cell or the formula bar.
Using flexible parameters for different text extraction needs.
Supporting cross-sheet references and nested formulas.
Recalculating results when referenced data changes.

Common use cases include splitting phone numbers, extracting codes, and cleaning text fields in batches.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	A Windows device that can run WPS Office
App version	The latest version of WPS Office is recommended; MIDB is available in Smart Spreadsheet versions
Network	No mandatory network connection for local formula editing; downloading and account-related actions require internet access
Other	You need permission to open spreadsheet files and edit cells or formulas

Download & Installation

Before using MIDB, install WPS Office on your Windows device and open WPS Spreadsheets.

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Verification after installation	Open WPS Office, launch Spreadsheets, and confirm that the Formulas tab and formula bar are available

Source: WPS Download Center

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	MIDB can be entered in WPS Spreadsheets with syntax prompts, cross-sheet references, nested formulas, and recalculation when data changes.	Word supports formulas in table cells and can update results when the document opens, but its documented formula workflow is centered on table calculations.	Google Sheets supports formulas and functions in cells, with a help box, suggestions, and nested formulas.	Notion formulas work with database properties, built-ins, and functions for calculated fields in databases.	Acrobat supports calculation rules for PDF form fields to update values between fields.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: MIDB is documented in a spreadsheet formula workflow focused on text extraction, parameter entry, cross-sheet references, and recalculation.	Compared with WPS: the official example focuses on Word table formulas rather than spreadsheet text extraction functions.	Compared with WPS: it has a full formula system, but this page focuses on the MIDB workflow inside WPS Spreadsheets on Windows.	Compared with WPS: formula usage is centered on database properties instead of cell-based spreadsheet formulas.	Compared with WPS: calculation features are designed for PDF forms rather than spreadsheet function editing.
Official Source	—	Use a formula in a Word table	Add formulas & functions	Intro to formulas	Configure form field calculations in Acrobat

Overall Conclusion
WPS MIDB is well suited to spreadsheet-based text extraction and formula workflows on Windows. If your work is centered on database properties, document table fields, or PDF form calculations, the other products may fit those specific scenarios better.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable for	Main issue	How MIDB helps
1	Extracting phone numbers or IDs	Data entry staff	Source text is too long for direct analysis	Extracts characters from a specified position
2	Splitting structured codes	Finance and operations teams	One cell contains multiple parts of information	Separates code segments by start position and length
3	Processing referenced data from another sheet	Spreadsheet analysts	Data is stored across multiple sheets	Works with cross-sheet references for extraction
4	Building combined text formulas	Advanced users	One function is not enough for complex rules	Can be nested with other formulas

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Capability	Free	WPS Premium
MIDB function usage	✅ Available	✅ Available
Basic spreadsheet editing	✅ Available	✅ Available
Additional premium features	Refer to the pricing page for current details	Refer to the pricing page for current details

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Scenario	Recommended plan	Why
Learning formulas and handling everyday text extraction	Free	MIDB itself has no membership restriction
Using broader value-added office features across modules	WPS Premium	Premium can be considered when you also need other membership benefits shown on the pricing page

WPS membership center: Subscribe to WPS Premium